Norris capitalizes on weather chaos in Miami sprint

Lando Norris took the victory in the Sprint race at the Miami Grand Prix after capitalizing on a well-timed pit stop during the safety car period. The Saturday event was marked by changing conditions, with rain altering the track and complicating matters for several drivers.

The session started with a delay due to standing water on the circuit, which caused visibility issues and forced race officials to display a red flag before the official start. Additionally, Charles Leclerc was unable to participate after crashing during the formation laps.

Once the race began, Oscar Piastri took control at the first corner, overtaking Kimi Antonelli, who had secured pole position in Friday's qualifying session. The young Italian from Mercedes was forced to take a wider line and dropped to fourth place.

During the opening laps, Piastri managed the race as the track began to dry, forcing teams to evaluate the best moment to switch to dry tires. Yuki Tsunoda was the first to take the risk by fitting medium tires, followed by Lewis Hamilton, who opted for soft compounds.

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Hamilton's pace on dry tires forced the rest of the field to react. Max Verstappen and Antonelli attempted to do the same, but an incident in the pit lane caused problems for both: Verstappen damaged his front wing, while Antonelli had to continue without stopping in his box.

The decisive moment came when Fernando Alonso hit the barriers after contact with Liam Lawson, triggering the safety car. At that exact moment, Norris had just completed his pit stop, allowing him to take the lead ahead of his teammate Piastri.

The Safety Car remained on track until the end of the race, securing Norris's victory over Piastri, while Hamilton completed the podium. Alexander Albon finished fourth for Williams, ahead of George Russell, Lance Stroll, and Liam Lawson. Oliver Bearman rounded out the points in eighth place.

"The pace was good, and the pit stop timing was perfect," explained Norris after the race. "In these kinds of events, you never know when to pit. You can stop early like Lewis and have it work out, or wait and maybe benefit from a Safety Car."

Verstappen, the reigning world champion, received a 10-second penalty for an unsafe release, dropping him to 17th place. With this victory, Norris closed the gap in the championship standings to just 9 points behind Piastri.

The action continues with qualifying for the main race, which will take place this Sunday at the Miami International Autodrome.

Final Sprint Classification – Miami 2025